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Illinois, the No. 3 seed out of the South Region, and UConn, the No. 2 seed out of the East Region, have each survived and advanced through four rounds of NCAA Tournament action. But only one can move on from their Final Four clash scheduled for Saturday night (5:09 p.m. CT, TBS) and climb to the final, big-boss stage of the national title game.
Can the Illini, who haven’t made a national championship appearance since 2005, prevail? Here are three reasons that the answer is yes – and one that says no.
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Three reasons Illinois beats UConn in Final Four
Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and forward Ben Humrichous (3) celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Illini have a talent advantage over the Huskies
Few coaches are more lauded for their offensive abilities than UConn’s Dan Hurley. His offenses are the embodiment of poetic beauty on the hardwood, as he’s a mastermind at creating a continuous, free-flowing scheme predicated on off-ball movement and drawing up brilliant set plays.
Yet somehow Hurley’s Huskies offense ranks last in adjusted efficiency (per KenPom) among the tournament’s remaining teams – and by a couple country miles. All three of the other Final Four entrants rank among the top five in the category, with Illinois pacing the group at No. 1. UConn’s rank? All the way down at No. 28.
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The primary explanation: something less than the usual pop in individual talent than Hurley is accustomed to. Five Huskies average double-digit scoring, but none are particularly dominant in any capacity – though center Tarris Reed Jr. has been in this NCAA Tournament (more on that later).
On the flip side, Illinois has perhaps the most talented unit in the nation, as well as a coaching staff adept at putting its players in the best positions…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-reasons-illinois-beat-uconn-030325140.html
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Publish date : 2026-03-31 03:03:00
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